Page 16 - Defence Directory #52

QUICKSTEP WINS MORE F-35 WORK
WESTERN-SYDNEY based Quickstep has picked up more work in the global F-35 program.
Quickstep has been awarded 10 new composite parts in support of the JSF, with the news coming just weeks after Prime Minister Scott Morrison opened an expansion of the company’s Bankstown facility.
This work on the centre fuselage is in addition to the 35 unique components Quickstep already supply into the global F-35 JSF program, and is expected to add an additional $3-4 million in annual revenue at full rate production.
Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price recently returned from the US visiting Lockheed Martin and their F-35 partner Northrop Grumman to advocate for more Australian involve- ment in the global F-35 program.
“I knocked on the doors of the Pentagon, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to fight for more Australian F-35 work,” Minister Price said. “This is a great start, but I will continue to advocate for more Australian work.
“This assignment is a testament to Quickstep’s invaluable work in the Australian defence industry and its export success. There is currently US$250,000 worth of Australian Quickstep equipment on every F-35 JSF globally.”
Quickstep won the 2018 NSW Defence Industries Exporter of the Year and is also in discussions with General Atomics (GA)
to participate in Australia’s future Reaper drone program. The company’s ability to offer GA a low-cost solution for Reaper, however, depends on whether GA offers Quickstep a sufficiently high-volume global contract.
“We don’t want it just for the Australian fleet,” CEO Mark Burgess said. “We’d rather have a smaller work statement for global supply than a bigger work statement just for the Australian fleet. It’s economies of scale.” ■
CIRRUS WINS SIMULATION TRAINING SYSTEM CONTRACT
MINISTER for Defence Industry Melissa Price has announced the award to Cirrus of a new contract to expand the Tactical Electronic Warfare simulation training systems (TACEW) that Cirrus successfully delivered to the RAN’s School of Maritime Warfare at HMAS Watson in May.
Under the newly awarded contract, Cirrus will supply additional TACEW workstations both for the existing TACEW system at HMAS Watson and for a new TACEW system to be supplied to HMAS Stirling. Navy’s School of Maritime Warfare at HMAS Watson accepted 35 workstations provided by Cirrus, with
the new contract set to provide an additional 39 workstations. HMAS Stirling is set to receive 12 of these new workstations
as part of the new $3 million contract, with an additional 27 workstations to be installed at HMAS Watson.
“The project total investment of $7.5 million will support
the electronic warfare capabilities of the Navy and ensure new recruits and current Navy personnel will have access to advanced technological systems and additional training capacity,” Minister Price said.
“Small businesses like Cirrus are an example of how our defence industry is maturing and developing cutting-edge technologies that in days gone by would have been delivered by international companies.”
“Cirrus is pleased to continue working with the RAN on Electronic Warfare simulation training capability, both through the additional TACEW capability to be provided under this new contract, and through the ongoing engineering services Cirrus provides under the existing TACEW support agreement,” Cirrus’ Managing Director Peter Freed stated. ■
LEFT: Cirrus will expand the simulation training systems previously delivered to the RAN’s School of Maritime Warfare at HMAS Watson.
PAGE 16
ADM’s Directory of Defence Suppliers 2020 | Edition 52 | www.defencesuppliers.com.au
DEFENCE
DEFENCE
DEFENCE SUPPLIERS NEWS